


System Restore

by MistralSoul



Category: Digimon Frontier
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Gen, Inspired by Dennou Coil, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23434309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistralSoul/pseuds/MistralSoul
Summary: Shibuya. A district where everything is run by technology. For most people, it's seen as a "fresh new start," at least, that's why the Kanbara family moves in. But this Shibuya is filled with mystery, as Takuya soon finds out. A mystery that no one was ready for.
Kudos: 3





	System Restore

**Author's Note:**

> First, I've never finished Dennou Coil. I literally got 6 episodes in, went "yeah I want to write a Frontier au of this" and promptly started writing? One day I'll finish Dennou Coil... that day is not today though. 
> 
> Second, I miss writing for Frontier. I used to write it under my old account, but I move ship because my old writing gave me old memories I didn't want, so I changed accounts. But I'm back providing content! And hopefully this'll actually be finished! Hope you all enjoy!

Takuya looks out the car window, arm resting on the ledge between the door and window. Trees pass him by in both reflection and his view, lulling him to sleep until houses come into view. When the first house comes to sight, Takuya immediately jerks up, about to wake up Shinya before his dad laughs and assures him it's not this house. Their house is further down the road, but still, Takuya nudges Shinya because he takes _forever_ to wake up from naps.

"Five more minutes…" Shinya trails off.

Takuya sighs and crosses his arms. "Dad said we're almost there. Wake up, Shinya."

Shinya stirs, staring at Takuya with tired eyes that almost look like they could kill - if Shinya wasn't a nine year old who couldn't beat bosses in video games - and yawns.

"We're not even there yet," he says, but as he does so the car slows to a stop in front of a house with no nameplate.

"We're there," Takuya's mother says as she turns the key in the ignition. The _click_ sound of the doors unlocking fills the silent car, as Shinya yawns and stretches in his seat and Takuya gets out, stretching his limbs before Shinya shoves him aside.

Takuya's dad moves to the trailer that holds all of their belongings and opens the back, announcing that they can take the grand tour later, right now they have to unpack.

They each take a box and move it upstairs, with Takuya and Shinya claiming the room furnished partially already with a bunkbed. Before he goes to take more boxes he looks out the window, hoping to see what the city looked like, but when he looked out there were two figures looking straight at him.

"Go get more boxes if you're done," Shinya says from behind Takuya.

"We've… got company," Takuya says, turning on his heels. He pushes Shinya aside lightly and races downstairs, past his parents who are busy putting the kitchenware boxes where they belonged.

"Someone's excited to move," his dad says while his mom sighs.

"If we'd known you'd have all this energy we would've taken our furniture too," his mom says.

"Sorry, but I think we have company?" Takuya says as he blitzes through the door.

When he gets outside his eyes shift to the left and the right, trying to figure out where his room is situated in relation to the outside, something he's never been good at. As he's looking around, he sees the two figures approaching, and he can make out who they are: A blonde girl who's walking side by side with a brunette boy.

"Looking for us?" the girl asks, resting her left side on the move in trailer. The boy next to her looks at her and mumbles something Takuya couldn't quite hear.

"Ye-yeah?" Takuya says, hoping he sounds confident but that stutter got in the way. "You know, we're kinda in the middle of moving in?"

The girl removes herself from the truck as the boy rubs the back of his head.

"Izumi, I don't think he's interested," the boy says and the girl - Izumi he's assuming - crosses her arms.

"Of course he's interested, he's in _Shibuya_ ," Izumi says. The way she stressed Shibuya made Takuya uneasy. He steps back a bit, stumbling into something.

"Watch it," Shinya says, glaring at Takuya before focusing his gaze on the two strangers. "These are the ones you stopped moving for?"

"Well it was nice talking to you!" the boy says, causing Takuya to blink rapidly. The boy is dragging Izumi away by the arm before Takuya could even say anything about how he actually didn't mind their company, he just wanted to know what they were doing here.

"Who were they?" Shinya asks, to which Takuya only shakes his head.

"Then get more boxes."

* * *

Takuya stands in the hallway, eyeing the classroom but failing to get any useful information. The teacher approaches him, smiling and giving a small wave when she got closer, before opening the door to the classroom. Takuya walks in, staring at the class who were chatting away, all wearing the same glasses. All typing away at something invisible.

And then he finds himself staring at a blonde, a blonde who was at his house earlier…

"Izumi?" he whispers, and the teacher speaking to the class and instead turns her attention to Takuya.

"Do you know someone?"

"Yeah, her," Takuya says, pointing straight at Izumi. "She was at my house yesterday."

Immediately Izumi stands up and slams her hands on the desk. "I-I was just welcoming him into the neighborhood!"

"No one said anything Izumi," someone says.

"Besides, we all know you were trying to recruit him for your little 'agency,'" another says, which causes the class to start chatting amongst themselves, ignorant to Izumi's steadily blushing face, quelled only by the teacher slamming her book onto the table, silencing everyone and sitting Izumi down.

"That's enough, now, please settle down and let our new friend continue with his introduction."

Takuya gives a slight smile and picks up the chalk, writing his name on the blackboard so everyone can see.

"It's Kanbara Takuya," he says, giving a slight bow. "Nice to meet you."

And sure enough, his desk happens to be right in front of Izumi, which he takes to the sound of whispers.

Class goes on and not before long it's lunch time, to which everyone gets up to receive the food being served. As Takuya gets up to fill his plate, someone yanks him by the arm.

"Hey, you should totally join _our_ group, just bring your glasses next time," says the boy.

"Glasses?" Takuya asks.

"Y'know, glasses? These things?" he says, lifting his own glasses up and down for effect.

"I don't -?"

"Hey, finders keepers," Izumi says, yanking on Takuya's other arm. He didn't know when he got close to her, but she did, and he was sorta at this point where he just wanted to eat…

"Ugh, Izumi, so you _were_ trying to recruit him to your 'agency,'" the boy says while bringing Takuya closer. "But mine's better."

Pulling him closer, Izumi tries to whisper something, before another student calls out to them.

"Oi, Izumi, Teppei, hands off Kanbara."

Reluctantly, it seems, the two of them let go of Takuya at the same time before shooting a glare at each other, before Izumi walked away and the boy - Teppei - stayed.

"Izumi's wild, make sure you bring your glasses next time."

* * *

"So, how was everyone's day?" Takuya's mom asks, trying to start a conversation. Takuya stares up at her from his phone, texting an old friend, while Shinya stares intently at Takuya's phone.

"Takuya…" his dad starts.

With a sigh, Takuya pockets the phone and responds to his mother. "I was fought over, how about yours?"

"You're just going to leave it at that?" Shinya asks.

"Yeah? Mom, how was your day?"

"I want an elaboration on that," his mom says, to which Takuya sighs.

"I think we're all going to need an elaboration on that," his dad says.

With another sigh, Takuya responds to the best of his ability. "I don't really know? Two classmates just wanted me to join their clubs, that's it."

"Why can't you join both?" his mom asks, gaining only a shrug in response.

"That's stupid," Shinya says, earning himself a glare from both his mom and his dad. "What? I only said one word. Plus it's not as bad as what comes out of _Takuya's_ mouth."

" _Hey you -_ "

"Hey hey, no blame shifting," his dad says while standing up and spreading his arms out, preventing the two from attempting to go at each other.

After a little exchanging of growls, the two both back down, with Takuya taking his phone back out and Shinya looking to the walls.

Before being reprimanded for use of his phone, Takuya asks a question, only just barely looking up from his phone screen as he does so. "So does anyone know what these glasses are?"

"You can't be _that_ dumb."

" _Shinya_ ," his mom says, to which Shinya slinks down in his chair and mumbles a sorry.

"No, like they're almost visors? But thanks Shinya, I know what glasses are."

"Takuya, don't you start as well," his dad says, but Takuya ignores it and keeps texting his friend about his day.

After about a moment of silence, Takuya pushes his chair back and excuses himself.

Despite not wanting to, he was going to have to ask either Izumi or Teppei about the glasses.

* * *

"So what's up with these... glasses you all wear?" Takuya asks, leaning back in his chair so he can rest his arm on Izumi's desk.

Izumi stares at him with her hands resting on her cheeks, smiling as Takuya pauses with his words, trying to figure out how to phrase things. She had started the conversation, tapping his shoulder to ask what happened to his glasses. To note he wasn't wearing glasses, again. But when he asks his question, she doesn't seem the least bit surprised.

No, she stays there with her smiling face and speaks.

"The staple of Shibuya! You can't live without glasses, they do everything!"

"Okay but, what _are_ they?"

Izumi sighs a very inaudible sigh, before she starts making hand movements in the air. "Okay so Shibuya is mostly digital, no one really sees with their actual eyes. Your parents should get a pair for work, but school doesn't actually supply these for students."

"So then, where do I buy them?"

"Give me a second…" she mumbles before clapping her hands in what seems like delight. "Yutaka you life saver."

"Who?"

"Hey Izumi -" a voice starts. Immediately there's the sound of slamming feet and Teppei comes face to face with the two of them. "Leave my catch alone."

"I found him first, finders keepers."

_Y'know, I'd really appreciate it if I wasn't treated like a thing._

Teppei crosses his arms and shifts his weight to the side before addressing Takuya. "You didn't bring your glasses today?"

"I don't have any."

Teppei steps back, his eyes wide and arm in front of his face. "You mean... ?"

"Not like _you_ can do anything about it, you owe Yutaka too much," Izumi says as she leans over and asks Takuya if he needed one or two.

"Don't do it, you'll be indebted to her!"

"Teppei, he needs glasses," Izumi says before making shooing motions. "Now bug off."

"Come on, Kanbara, tell me: you'd rather have a stalker? Or a fellow classmate like me?"

"The heck that's mean?" Izumi asks.

"Can I just get the glasses from this Yutaka themselves?" Takuya asks, getting the two of them to stare at him.

"Uh?" they collectively say, before Izumi makes more hand movements.

"I'm asking him right now. It costs an insane amount of cash money for two though, you're better off going through one of the detective agencies, we have different currencies," Izumi says, to which Takuya sighs.

"Anyone that isn't run by you two?" Takuya asks, instantly regretting his decision as both speak at the same time, causing him to cover his ears and yell.

The two stop, along with everyone else in the class, and stare at him. But he doesn't regret it. No, because why the _heck_ were they fighting over him? He felt like he was getting pushed and pulled in so many different directions that he just couldn't move and he hated it.

And it was all Izumi's fault.

"Just, give me this Yutaka's address and I'll get the glasses myself."

Without skipping a beat, Izumi takes out a scrap piece of paper and writes over it, giving it to Takuya once she is done.

* * *

"Sorry," Izumi says.

Takuya pretends not to hear her.

Instead he stares blankly at the note, the one with the flowery handwriting, and gets out of his chair and walks to the door, shooting one last glance at Izumi, who was looking longingly at the blackboard, as if there was still instruction there. Takuya turns away quickly before she can catch him looking at him and walks out into the hallway.

A kid sidesteps him, mumbling a sorry, presumably because neither watched where they were going and nearly ran into each other, but Takuya just waves it off.

He walks over to the cubby where his outside shoes and shoots a text to his mother while doing so.

Once he's done, he heads out, checking the directions every so often to make sure he was heading in the right direction. The walk wasn't that long, taking him only about ten minutes from the school following Izumi's directions and noting every significant item so he could do the walk on his own and throw out Izumi's directions.

What he ends up in front of is a plain house. Not a storefront. Not a special house. Just a house that looks almost exactly like his, so Takuya checks the nameplate. Izumi's note said it should say "Himi" on it, which it did. But it still felt weird, as it was someone's house. He didn't want to go in and get a parent, but regardless he rings the bell.

Two minutes after the ring, or what Takuya thinks is two minutes, a small boy in a large orange hat who looks about Shinya's age answers the door. "Hello?"

"Uh," Takuya says, before realizing he should've just asked for Yutaka. But one of two things were happening. Yutaka… was a child who ran a store. Or he got the wrong spelling of Himi, even if it was the same exact spelling as on Izumi's note.

The two stare at each other before the child speaks. "Oh! You're here for my brother, aren't you?"

"Brother?"

"I mean, you need glasses, right?"

Or a third option. This Yutaka had a younger brother.

Before Takuya can even say anything, the child motions for him to follow and calls out for Yutaka while Takuya takes off his shoes.

Soon there's a boy who definitely looks like he's the older brother in front of Takuya.

"Sorry for the intrusion."

"So you're the one Izumi was texting me about," Yutaka says.

Why did Izumi have to follow him everywhere?

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason, sorry," he says, waving his hand signifying that it really didn't matter.

Yutaka walks out of the foyer, leaving Takuya with the child, who smiles at him.

"Name's Tomoki, Tomoki Himi."

"I'm Takuya Kanbara."

The two follow Tomoki's brother to a room that looks much more like what Takuya expected. It seemed almost like the two turned their living and dining room into a store, complete with a cash register and everything. There were various different wares that Takuya found himself examining before Yutaka comes back.

Leaning over the counter, he faces Takuya. "So you're in luck, a new shipment of upgraded glasses came in, most of which have been claimed. I'd say there are about three to four left? No, you cannot have three."

Takuya moves up to the counter as Tomoki sits on a chair that was nearby. "Is two fine?"

"You're not going to sell the second one, right?"

"No I have a younger brother, and someone said schools don't really supply them."

"Actually -" Tomoki starts before his brother cuts him off.

"Nah, that's just for school and really crappy quality. If you want to hack," he says with a smile, "you need the good stuff."

Seeing Takuya's confused face, Yutaka elaborates. "If a student doesn't have their own pair, which, trust me, is a really rare case, their school provides them one. However they're teacher or worker quality, which honestly? Really crappy, you do not want those. Plus they're loans. Needed only for assignments or class. You don't keep them."

"I meant, more the hacking part?"

"Have you never been to Shibuya before?" Tomoki asks, to which Takuya turns his head slightly and shakes it.

"Tomoki, watch the storefront, we should be getting people in for the new upgrade," Yutaka says as he moves a stool from underneath the counter. Tomoki jumps out of his seat and goes behind the counter, all while Yutaka motions for Takuya to follow him back.

Once inside, Yutaka takes a seat in front of a glowing blue computer screen, motioning for Takuya to take a seat in front of him.

"Well, first off, introductions are in order. I'm Yutaka Himi, this is my shop of trinkets."

"Takuya Kanbara."

Yutaka hums a little to himself before getting up from his seat and taking out two small boxes. "I'll do you a favor, buy one get one free, free installation, no interest."

"How much does it cost?"

Yutaka starts doing hand movements while opening the boxes. Once he seems content, he takes off his glasses and puts on a new pair without opening his eyes. He then gives Takuya the remaining pair.

"Depends how you pay. Follow me though, worry about prices later." He immediately taps the left side of his glasses, to which Takuya follows suit. Words that mean absolutely nothing to Takuya flash on screen before instantly being replaced by a status bar stating clearly, "updating."

"That takes about twenty minutes, keep the glasses on, it makes life easier. So I'm assuming you want everything explained to you?"

Takuya nods his head, gaining a smile from Yutaka. "Not every day you get to teach a rookie. This is going to be fun.

"Shibuya's technologically advanced, a lot of it's best experienced in augmented reality. It's been like that for the longest time, not exactly sure why. But the glasses, well, they make life better. Gives us opportunities, 'cause I def wouldn't be able to pay for Tomoki's schooling if these weren't so exploitable."

Takuya tilts his head to the side. "You mean with the hacking?"

"Yeah, there's little features in every update that rarely get released to the public. But kids figured out how to get them, so it's become a game. Solve some issues of kids who lost their pets, charge them a fee, then do some more odd ends, all while pissing each other off."

"Hold on -"

"I'll explain anything more in depth, don't worry."

Takuya nods, mostly because he wasn't exactly sure how to address someone who seems to be much older. Asking questions seemed… a rudeness he normally wouldn't care about, but for some reason he was more concerned.

Probably because of Izumi.

"So basically? In Shibuya without glasses? That's almost a death sentence. Almost everything is digital, nearly everyone goes digital. Now, questions?"

"Pets? You mean you need glasses to find real life animals?"

Yutaka laughs and opens his mouth to say something when the voice of Tomoki calling out for his older brother breaks the silence.

"What is it?"

"Someone brought a Flamon in, said it was bugged."

Yutaka sighs, before turning to look at Takuya and grinning a grin that suggested that he had some kind of idea in mind.

"Come with me, I get to explain Digimon."

 _Digimon?_ Takuya asks himself as he follows Yutaka to the store front where a boy leans on the counter, chatting with Tomoki about something not so important as it instantly stops.

"Ah, Yutaka, this pet got bugged," he says nonchalantly, as if there was actually something there.

To Takuya's surprise, Yutaka didn't skip a beat, switching glasses and handling empty space as if there was something there.

"This looks like modification, sorry, I don't buy modifications off people," Yutaka says after handling the empty space.

"Well, I don't want it anymore, Seraphis keep coming after me because of this stupid pet. I don't want to deal with that anymore."

"Seraphis?" Takuya finds himself asking, to which the customer stares at him shocked before Tomoki turns around.

"Shorthand for Seraphimons, think of law enforcement."

"He's new? Oh crap he has the new pair! Yutaka…"

"What I do is my business, now I don't buy mods."

"Come on, a trade? A new pair of glasses for this Flamon?"

"Can't, only one in stock," Yutaka says, still looking at the empty space, which Takuya assumed was Flamon, instead of the customer.

"Then sell it to me, you sold it to that newbie."

"Don't push your luck," Tomoki says.

For once, Yutaka looks up. "My store, my business."

"Why the heck are you the only one in this business? I swear I thought you were supposed to be neutral."

"I can still have my own rules you know."

"Or maybe Takuya can buy it," Tomoki says, to which Takuya stares at him, opening his mouth slightly to try and protest, but Yutaka beats him to it.

"Wonderful idea, now you two agree on a price."

"Wait, hang on," Takuya says, to which Yutaka smiles.

"This'll teach you about pets. I think it's a good idea."

"But should I pay for it?" Takuya asks, mainly because he _really_ didn't want to go into more debt.

Yutaka rests his hand on his face, before speaking. "You, how much do you want? I'll buy it off you."

"One hundred thousand fractal coin."

"If you're going to scam me customers don't have the audacity to make it so balant."

The customer growls. "That's how much I want."

"It's modded, it's worth nothing, be glad I'm offering to _pay_ for it," Yutaka says.

"I want money, I _need_ money to buy those glasses off of you. Besides, I'm already in the hole with you, can't you cut me a break?"

"You can earn it some other way. I honestly doubt you were going to get much off of me," Yutaka says, completely ignoring the debt part, "So give me an amount between zero and fifty fractal coin. _Not_ including the upper bound."

The customer crosses his arms before huffing and agreeing to the highest amount he can - forty-nine fractal coin. Just as Yukata pays the customer, Takuya's glasses beep with the words "update complete" flashing across his vision.

"The update says complete?" Takuya says as the customer leaves. And once the message goes away, he can see the creature the customer left. He scoops it up, because he guesses its his now, despite having absolutely zero say in it.

"Goddamn that took twenty minutes," Yutaka says, rubbing his temples. "Anyway, you're good to go, unless you need me to explain more?"

"I think my parents want me home, I just got a text."

"Stay safe of Seraphis," Tomoki says.

"I will," Takuya responds as Yutaka gives him Shinya's pair of glasses.

* * *

When Takuya gets home, cradling the Flamon he just received, there's a scene. And Shinya was right in the middle of it.

"Come on, I want to see what you guys see!" he says.

His mom shushes him, while his dad says that they'll try to buy him a pair over the weekend. No one notices that Takuya is in the room.

"I'm… home?"

Takuya's parents turn around, about to welcome him home before Shinya loudly points out that even he had the glasses and how life was unfair.

"We'll try to get you a pair soon," his mom says, turning back to Shinya, before his dad taps her and points to what Takuya was cradling.

"Son… what's that thing you have in your arms?"

"He's carrying nothing! Let me see!"

"It's a pet, a friend gave it to me," Takuya says as he sets it down on the floor. "And Shinya, shut up."

" _Takuya_ ," both of his parents say.

"I won't until someone gives me their glasses! I can't believe all three of you got a pair and forgot about me," he says, sounding almost on the verge of tears.

"Then I guess you'll never get my spare."

"Takuya, just give it to him, don't extort him," his dad says.

"Come on, let me have fun," Takuya fires back, but immediately Shinya's on his knees begging for Takuya to give him the spare.

"See, he's giving into it!" Takuya says only to get disapproving glares from his parents. "Fine, I brought you a pair."

Takuya reaches into his pocket, pulling out the pair that Yutaka started up, and gives it to Shinya.

Shinya immediately grabs it, saying only a thank you as his parents instructed, puts it on, and immediately turns his sour mood into pure wonder.

"I don't think I want to know how much that all cost you," his dad says as Shinya immediately starts playing with Flamon.

"I don't even know myself, but apparently I only need to pay for one pair."

"When? We can pay for you, you're our child after all," his mom says, to which Takuya shrugs.

"He said no interest though, so I guess whenever?"

Before his mom can respond, the doorbell rings. Takuya walks over to answer it, seeing himself face to face with the one person he doesn't want to talk to.

Izumi.


End file.
